Bryant signs Bowles bridge bill

HOUSTON — A bridge on Mississippi Highway 15 in Chickasaw County will be named for the late state Rep. Billy Bowles under a bill signed by Gov. Phil Bryant this past week.

House Bill 517 would designate the bridge within the city of Houston, Miss., at its intersection with Mississippi Highway 8 as the “Representative William E. ‘Billy’ Bowles Memorial Bridge.”

Bowles served 20 years in the Mississippi House. Bowles died in 2012 at the age of 78.

The bill was supported by the city and county.

Bowles was a staunch support of small business and ran Bowles Grocery for 34 years. The country storekeeper was known for standing up during debates to ask who wanted a certain bill. He was chairman of the Oil and Gas Committee from 1992-2004.